Transcript of Barack Obama’s Interview on Fox

March 17, 2010 — Ron Chusid

The full transcript Barack Obama’s interview with Bret Baier of Fox is posted here. Earlier I posted the video here. Baier hit Obama with a long line of dishonest right wing talking points and avoided any meaningful discussion of the issues. As expected, they used the show to promote their own right wing propaganda without any regard for the facts.

He is President for all. Are questions from the right wing not worthy of the President’s time? At least you realize that just asking certain questions can promote an agenda. That’s what us right wingers feel on every other “news” channel. I’m curious though…what were the “dishonest” questions? There are special deals in the Senate bill, even the president admits that. We don’t know what the current bill is. Is it dishonest to ask?

Of course questions from the right wing are worthy of asking, but if Fox was truly a “fair and balanced” news network the questions wouldn’t be from the right wing.

There is also a problem when the questions are based upon premises which are factually untrue. To ask the questions he asked one would either have to be 1) ignorant of the subject and unintentionally repeating right wing distortions or 2) intentionally failing to follow journalistic standards in using the interview to promote right wing talking points and distort the truth.

If you wanted to find out what was in the bill the interview was a waste of time. Fox doesn’t want to discuss the bill because then it would be obvious how conservative this bill is. They would prefer to repeat the right wing talking points that it is something radical and falsely claim it is a “government take over of health care” or that it puts the government in control of “one-sixth of the U.S. economy.”

The interview concentrated on process questions, which were phrased to distort what is actually occurring. As with most topics, watching Fox would make someone less informed by feeding them falsehoods.

If right wingers feel this way on every other news channel they are really out of touch with reality. Conservatives heavily dominate broadcast news and a very large percentage of interviews are conducted by conservatives (as long as you avoid MSNBC during prime time). The difference is that conservatives at CNN (i.e. the Conservative News Network) and other networks attempt to adhere to journalistic standards as opposed to using “news” shows for propaganda purposes. Right wingers see any show, even if from conservatives, as being “liberal” if it isn’t used to heavily promote the falsehoods being spread by the far right (or in the case of health care, being fed by the insurance industry.)

Baier’s interruptions served no journalistic purpose – Baier had plenty of time for his questions. The purpose was to give Fox a win-win spin opportunity: if Obama notes the interruptions – even in the civil way he did – he’s “testy,” “combative,” or “confrontational” (read: “an angry black man”), and if he lets Baier walk all over him he’s “weak,” timid,” “incapable of leading.”

The interruptions, as they are referred to, were simply reminders by Baier to the president to focus on and answer the questions which were asked instead of answering the questions the president wished to answer.

The issue here isn’t the toughness of the questions or whether Obama was answering the questions answered. The problem is that the questions were based upon false premises. The interview was designed to misinform the viewer, as is the case of most of what Fox broadcasts.

“…reminders by Baier to the president to focus on and answer the questions which were asked instead of answering the questions the president wished to answer…”

HAHAHAHA!
Sorry.. that just has to be a joke.. there is no way that you can honestly say that with a straight face… The president only got “off topic” regarding the questions asked, when (As Ron already pointed out) the question itself was based on misinformation by the right. The President obviously wants to inform EVERYONE about this bill.. Even if they are dumb rednecks sitting in their trailer waiting for Glenn Beck to tell them how to think… The interruptions were ABSOLUTELY intended to discredit the President and make him seem combative.. but I think he handled it superbly.

I think the person you are talking about that cant answer questions when asked was actually Sarah Palin (Who I am sure is one of your favs, based on your comment).. In her debate with Biden she was specifically asked to respond about health care and answers ” I’d — I’d like to respond about the tax increases.”

I think it showed just how much of a man Barack Obama is… I mean to have the twig & berries to actually go onto a Fox show to take Q&A about reform in an industry that is quite obviously in the pocket of the News Corp that he is taking the questions from.. He knew from the start it wasn’t going to be “fair and balanced” but he did it anyways.. If just a handful of dopes watching went, “hmm.. that is a good point” and actually research the bill, maybe they will have a change of heart..

(Ok so it wasnt O’Reilly.. which I would love to see Barack punch in the throat) but it still showed me (again) that we elected the right man for the job.. Finally!